He sought permission from his superior to open fire, according to a revealing report on the bloody incident. But his superior “either did not listen to him, or answered too late”.
A Uvalde police officer, who had requested and waited for approval from his superior to open fire with his rifle, missed a unique opportunity to neutralize 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, his assailant massacre at Rob Primary School with 21 victims, nineteen children and two teachers, before it was committed, reveals a report made public yesterday.
That detail, which has remained unknown until now, is included in a report by the Center for Advanced Training of Police Officers in Rapid Response Teams at the University of Texas, written at the behest of the state Department of Public Safety.
Already, Uvalde police’s handling of the case has drawn sharp criticism from senior law enforcement officials, elected officials and citizens. The indignation was mainly caused by the fact that up to 19 police officers waited for more than an hour in a corridor, outside the classrooms where the children and teachers were massacred, before the operational team of the border guard finally arrived and intervened and killed the young man.
However, according to the report released yesterday, earlier that day, May 24, Mr Salvador Ramos crashed a van and opened fire at a store across the street at 11:28 (local time), prompting the police to mobilize.
Before he stormed the school, at 11:33, a police officer saw him moving, holding a rifle, inside the school grounds. He was 135 meters from the suspect, in other words the target was within effective range of his rifle. But he was concerned that if he fired, a bullet could endanger the life of a child, according to the report.
He sought authorization from his superior to open fire, according to the 26-page document. But his superior “either she didn’t hear him, or she answered too late”.
The attacker was already inside the school.
According to the report, the officer could justifiably use deadly force, as the criminal code in Texas allows members of law enforcement to do so if they have a “reasonable” belief that they will prevent a murder by doing so.
A Uvalde police spokesman was not available for comment.
The federal Department of Justice is studying how law enforcement agencies responded to the Texas city and will release its findings, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced last month.
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